Shadows
by NightcatMau
Summary: Vile and Valkyrie are lovers, sort of, with a Lord Vile/Valkyrie ship. Vilkyrie, anyone? Now a series of one-shots. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I don't own Lord Vile or Valkyrie. This is a one-shot for my coupling of Lord Vile and Valkyrie. So Vile/Valkyrie or Valkyrie/Vile whichever you prefer. I don't think Vilkyrie sounds right, or maybe it does. Val's about 24 here.

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Valkyrie stood up from the castle floor slowly. All around her, lay slain vampires. She had stupidly walked right into their liar, into a trap. She should have been dead, but not a single one had touched her. Somebody had attacked from the shadows, using Necromancy to spear and decapitate them.

Vampires had been ripped to shreds in front of her. Some had simply exploded. Shadows had smashed more into walls before they could reach her. The violence and screams were astounding. But still, she was grateful to be alive.

"Hello?" She called, hesitant to walk towards the shadows.

Her rescuer strode forth from the shadows, stopping in a shaft of moonlight. It played off his black armour, making him look all the more dreadful as his shadows writhed around him. To Valkyrie, he was the most stunning man she'd ever seen. Lord Vile.

Vile tilted his head, and she felt his intense gaze through the eye slits of his visor. He approached her, his gaze steady on her. Valkyrie opened her mouth to thank him for her rescue, but he held up a hand to silence her.

He was right in front of her now, bringing up an armoured hand to caress her face, his touch firm but gentle. Valkyrie tilted her head into his caress, closing her eyes to enjoy the sensation. She brought up her hand to touch the armour over his chest and felt him react as if the armour was sensitive to her touch.

Vile took her hand, pressed it to his chest. So he could feel her touch, then he could feel everything else too. Vile confirmed her suspicions by bringing his armoured head down to meet hers at an angle, the metal where his mouth would be pressing into her lips.

His arms went tightly around her, the gauntleted hands roving up and down her back. She responded with caresses of her own, and his kiss deepened. Vile drew back several paces and Valkyrie could feel the steady gaze from his visor.

He gestured and his shadows flowed towards Valkyrie, roaming up her body in a velvety caress, drawing sighs out of her that were for him alone. Then his shadows retreated and Vile inclined his head gracefully towards her. He shadow-walked and was gone.

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**I know a lot of people will hate this but it makes sense that if Skulduggery was in love with Valkyrie, Vile would be as well since they are the same man despite people pretending they are not.**


	2. Chapter 2: Hunger

A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Lord Vile or Valkyrie. this is Vile/Valkyrie or Vilkyrie if you like. Val is in her 20s, I guess.

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Valkyrie woke up under a starry sky, groggy. She'd been sent back in time to try and retrieve a magical artefact and failed. Whomever wanted it had moved first, and caught up with her on a bridge when she fled the castle that had held the artefact. Valkyrie had been hit from behind and had fallen senseless to the river below.

Now, of course, she wasn't in the river. She felt the rough blanket around her scratch at her skin and realized with a start she wasn't wearing her clothes. She shifted her head ever so slightly, worried that she might be captive, and figuring being quiet was her best chance of escape.

She saw her clothes drying on a crude wooden rack made of sticks, and before her roasted meat hung over a fire on a spit. She could see, between the dancing flames the man that sat across from her.

The firelight gleamed of his black armour, throwing back reflections that seemed to be caught by his shadows. They wreathed around him, a living thing, and Valkyrie felt her heart skip a beat. Lord Vile. She noticed too the artefact was at his feet. That meant her attacker was dead, and she couldn't suppress a small smile.

She felt Vile's steady gaze through the eye slits of his mask and sat up, careful to keep the blanket around her. He was gazing at her intently, silently. He inclined his head towards the cooking meat and she nodded, then took some, rather touched by his offer.

He had after all cooked for her, dried her clothes, and put her before a fire so she wouldn't catch cold. They were the things Skulduggery would have done, but this was not Skulduggery across from her. Vile's gaze was steady, almost predatory.

Valkyrie realized she hadn't eaten since she had arrived two days ago, and tore several more strips of meat from the carcass. The meat tasted seasoned, though she couldn't begin to imagine what Vile had used. She licked her lips to try and gauge the flavour and heard a slight noise from Vile. Had he groaned? Surely not.

She sat back, satisfied, licking her fingers clean, and this time it was a groan she heard. Valkyrie hid her smile the best she could, and looked into the flames. Steam still rose off her clothes so it would be a while before she could dress yet.

She felt something caress her arm and looked down to see one of Vile's shadows snaking its way around her arm, caressing gently. Then another skirted around her neck, and more until she was covered with writhing shadows that seemed determined to burrow underneath the blanket to her bare skin.

Valkyrie looked across the fire at Vile and could feel his intent. She gave him a crooked grin and rose, stretching, just barely holding the blanket together. Now she heard a low growl from him. She didn't bother to hide her smile as she walked around the fire towards him.

Vile rose to meet her, his armoured hands coming to rest briefly on her shoulders. She had secured the blanket around her, leaving her arms free, and he teasingly touched a finger to the place where it was gathered. The tiniest touch really, was all it would take.

Valkyrie rose her arms to put them around his neck, pressing her body flush against his. She felt Vile stiffen, knew his armour was as sensitive as human flesh. She gasped, the icy cold of his armour sending chills through her body. Then he was kissing her, one gauntleted hand cradling her head, the other roaming up and down the side of her body restlessly, seeking new places to explore.

Vile deepened the kiss, that icy cold connection making her senses swim. He stiffened suddenly, pulling away, and Valkyrie could hear approaching voices. Ghastly and his mother were searching for her, drawing nearer.

Valkyrie looked back to Vile to tell him, what exactly? Don't kill them? I have to go back now? She felt a flicker of amusement from him as his shadows swirled around her. They shadow-walked and were gone.

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**Valkyrie teasing Lord Vile? Bad, Valkyrie, bad! Good thing Vile likes her that way.**


	3. Chapter 3: Heartbeat

A/N: I don't own Vile, Valkyrie, or Skulduggery but if they ever read this, they are sure going to own me. Special thanks go out to INSANITY-TF and Amy for requesting more Vile/Valkyrie. Vilkyrie? Vilekyrie? Vale just sounds foolish, so take your pick. Valkyrie is in her 20s, I guess.

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Valkyrie hadn't seen her partner for weeks, but people had seen Lord Vile. He seemed to be traveling across Ireland making his way back to the cave where he'd left his armour. So although it counted as a Very Bad Idea, Valkyrie followed.

He was traveling so slowly she knew he was aware of her pursuit and now as they both walked towards the cave Vile several hundred yards ahead of her. Vile even turned at the cave entrance and looked back at her where she had hidden in deepest shadow.

Of course he knew she was there. He was a dead Necromancer, seeing through shadows was as easy to him as seeing in daylight was to others. Vile disappeared into the cave and Valkyrie felt her heart start to jackhammer.

What did he want, leading her here like this? If it was her death he'd have killed her the instant he appeared weeks ago, having stepped out in front of her car on the moonlit road, causing her to slam on her brakes. Vile had tilted his head, regarding her silently, then shadow-walked away before she could even think of reacting.

The problem was, Valkyrie thought miserably, she had reacted. She had the same reaction to him now. That sensation of her heart lurching whenever she looked at him. Everything about him was wickedly elegant, perfectly designed for killing. She was sure she's read cool amusement in his glance, sure that even now as she started automatically towards the cave entrance he'd led her here purely for his own amusement.

* * *

Valkyrie entered the cave, leaving the sunlit world behind. She had to pause to let her eyes adjust, and was aware she made a perfect target. Skulduggery would have scolded her, forced her into the shadows of the cave, but it really made no difference with Vile, so she stood there, adjusting.

When she could at last see she walked in deeper, summoning a flame to guide her through the main entrance and into the twists and turns of the snaking tunnel that led from it. Here and there side tunnels breached off, perfect places to ambush her from, but she followed the main tunnel, not liking how tight it seemed to be getting.

She reached a dead end, and turned, puzzled. Vile should have attacked by now. She couldn't have possibly missed him because her ring felt cold, but not the searing icy cold it did in his presence. She allowed the flame to die out, used the darkness like shadows, reaching out to sense where he was.

Then the ring was searing cold and he was there, shackling her wrists in the dark, draining her magic from her. Vile pulled her close and she felt the icy cold armour that must have been where his mouth would have been come down hard on her mouth. She struggled for an instant, then realized his intent, and relaxed. Vile's attentions deepened and he forced her back against the wall, pinning her hands above her head.

He seemed to be using his shadows to hold her there because she felt him back away. Where was he? Then the darkness started to caress her like a living thing, but still she had no idea where he was. She felt the darkness, perhaps his shadows, curling and sliding into her clothing, exploring, questing for hidden gaps to enter.

She clenched her teeth, unwilling to cry out because she knew he'd win if she did. The shadows and darkness found bare skin at last, and she did cry out. At that the shackles dropped and the shadows retreated. She knew Vile was gone, having perhaps shadow-walked metres away.

She stood there, panting slightly, feeling both frustration that things hadn't gone further, and realization that it was why she had followed him all along. She summoned a flame at long last, making her was back through the tunnel.

She figured Skulduggery would be seven kinds of displeased if she ever saw him again, but then, he'd never shown the slightest interest in her. Lord Vile at least was obliging, if a bit of an unfair tease.

She knew though that she wouldn't find Vile again until he wanted to be found, and her frustration at his teasing increased. She reached the cave entrance in a foul mood, vowing to do her job and arrest the man the next time she saw him.

She walked to the main road and reached her car, stopping at the sight of the shackles that rested on the hood. Valkyrie reached for them, the icy cold confirming they had been the same ones Vile had used on her. A crooked grin broke out on her face, and she got in, putting them on the seat beside her.

Valkyrie has looked all around her as she was trained to do, but she had failed to spot Vile as he watched her from the shadows of the far off hills, head titled in pleasure at the acceptance of his gift. If she wanted more more of him, she would get it, and soon.


	4. Chapter 4: Shadow Man

A/N: I don't own Lord Vile, Skulduggery or Valkyrie. Val is about 40 here, story is in her POV. Thanks to **INSATIVIRITING-TF&SP** for the new chapter request.

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Valkyrie was running as fast as she could through the woods, but the Sanctuary agents were closing in. After Skulduggery had died in the explosion, the explosion they set after finding out he was Lord Vile, they wanted her dead as well. She had taken off running, the hidden agents springing into life, coming after her. One had hit her in the back with a magical blast shredding her clothes, and her powers were no longer working.

She stumbled and fell, cursing, but got up and kept running, he would have wanted her to. She still remembered the way he had looked at her the moment he'd realized something was wrong in the Bentley how he'd displaced the air with such force that she had been forced back and away, the door behind her blown off its hinges, before the bomb took him.

She had thought, just for an instant she had seen him change, but it was impossible. His armour was long gone, and Lord Vile was dead. Valkyrie slowed, realizing the sounds of pursuit had stopped. She came to a halt, listening as Skulduggery had taught her. She heard no sound, but she felt a presence behind her and turned, vowing to fight to the death.

Lord Vile stood before her, his shadows writhing and twisting, lashing out, and she knew how angry he was at that moment. She also knew why she wasn't being chased anymore. Lord Vile stared at her, hard, and she felt no trace of Skulduggery in that cold gaze.

Valkyrie walked closer, her breath catching. He was going to kill her, she knew that. But Lord Vile was her one weakness, her one desire. As he stood there in his black armour, his shadows lashing in anger she went to him willingly. Vile watched her approach and she swore she sensed the ghost of a smile behind his visor.

He tilted his head, considering her the way a cat considers a bird, and his shadows surged towards her, enveloping her. They were ice cold and clung to her completely, causing her to gasp in shock. There was a spot on her body Lord Vile had missed, and she sensed his intense amusement to her startled reaction.

Vile used the shadows to draw her into his embrace, but Valkyrie was already on the verge of fainting from what his shadows were doing to her and he clearly knew it. Vile brought his head down to hers and clasped her to him, and the artic sensation took her senses from her.

* * *

Valkyrie awoke in a cave, though where the cave was she had no idea. There was a fire, and game of some kind was roasting on it. Vile was there, watching her intently. Valkyrie got up, watching him warily, but touched that he would feed her. He didn't want her dead then, not yet at least.

"Skulduggery?" She asked. Vile said nothing. "Lord Vile?" At that his head tilted. Skulduggery was gone, maybe for good, and she was in the hands of the man whom she desired most, but with no power to defend herself.

She tried to stand and yelped and the pain of the magical strike she'd taken coursed through her. Vile's shadows surged towards her, seeking, touching probing, until they found the wound, and she though she heard him curse softly. He told her to stay with his visored gaze as his shadows swelled around him. Vile shadow-walked and was gone.

* * *

He had come back, holding moss and other supplies in his armoured hands, and gestured for Valkyrie to turn around. She did, wondering how he'd treat her through the clothes, but of course, as she soon realized, he didn't plan to. His shadows surged forward, and she willingly gave in to them. First she felt them teasing and caressing, roaming restlessly before drawing off her jacket.

Then came her armoured shirt as well, leaving her shin bare to the cold of his shadows as the tattered remnants of her bra fell away. Valkyrie instinctively covered herself and swore she heard Vile laughing softly.

He was tending to her back then, washing the wound, pressing the moss into it along with dock leaves and what felt like mud. Before she could protest his shadows had torn the remains of her shirt to shreds making a bandage to hold the moss and plants in place.

Vile's gauntleted hand were gentle as he placed the bandage, but Valkyrie still shivered when the back of one brushed against her chest. The time Vile definitely laughed, and his gauntleted hands came to rest on her shoulders, caressing much better than his shadows ever could.

He turned her around and she thought he was going to kiss her again as he lowered his armoured head to hers, the place where his mouth would be nearly touching her waiting lips, but he pulled back, and she could sense his amused smile. He gestured to the fire and food, and she sat grateful to eat, thankful for his continued goodwill. Vile gestured again and his shadows put her jacket on her, dressing her, covering up anything he shouldn't see, for now, at any rate.

Vile watched her eat, seeming to take pleasure from it. "Thank you, for everything, Vile. For saving me, three times now."

He titled his head at her and she didn't know if he remembered.

"In th car, the woods, now here with the treatment. You could have left me to die, why didn't you?"

He shrugged and she wondered how much of Skulduggery was before her, and how much was Lord Vile. No, it had to be Lord Vile. Skulduggery would have changed back, would have been prattling at her, fussing over her.

Her partner was dead, and the man before her was what she had left. Valkyrie gave him another smile as he ate and he watched her intently, saying nothing.

* * *

Valkyrie had fallen asleep shortly after eating, her injuries and the shock of the day's events too much for her. When she awoke the fire was low embers. Vile stood at the cave entrance silhouetted in the light of the moon.

There was an unearthly beauty to him now as the moonlight caught the mirrored surface of his armour and was refracted back. His shadows seemed to chase the reflected light, they pulsed almost seeming to react to his thoughts. He must have her her rise, even though she didn't make a sound she was aware of, because he turned, awesome in his dark majesty.

Valkyrie felt her heart lurch, and she realized she was in love with him, as she realized every time she saw him, but this time she admitted it, this time she resolved to show him. She rose to meet him as he strode closer, knowing she had to let a man as masterful as Lord Vile take the lead.

He did, his shadows writhing, finding openings to race into in her jacket, first testing the bandage to be sure it was secure, then starting to tease her, and even more shadows toyed with the buttons to the jacket.

But Vile wasn't intent on opening them, he was closing them, buttoning her up tight, and she sensed his wicked delight, because he knew she wanted rid of the jacket in the worst way. Two more shadows caught her wrists, dragging her hands away, laving her to mewl in helpless frustration as Vile's shadows teased and probed.

Then he was letting her sink to the floor weak with desire, and his shadows were retreating back to him. Valkyrie made a sound of frustration, and sensed Vile's smile. She knew then what he planned to do with her, how he'd spend his days taking her to the edge of desire, but refusing to complete her, and she trembled.

Vile just watched her, and she again sensed his smile. She reached a trembling hand towards him, begging for mercy, but Vile was not a man known for being merciful. His shadows swirled around him, enveloping him. Vile shadow-walked and was gone.

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**Bad Lord Vile, bad! Teasing poor Valkyrie like that. But we all know she enjoyed it. **


	5. Chapter 5: The Warlord's Bride

A/N: I don't own Vile or Valkyrie. Val is in her 20s here. This one is rather dark and violent, so be forewarned.

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This couldn't be happening, but it was. War had finally broken out with the mortals and the world had plunged into chaos. I'd taken artillery fire the likes of which even magical clothes couldn't stop and fell to the ground.

The last thing I remembered was men screaming and seeing a figure in black armour stride towards me. Lord Vile.

* * *

I came to, and found us in Skulduggery's house. Wait, not this couldn't be right. But it was. I'd been healed and Vile sat in Skulduggery's accustomed meditation chair, watching me closely. Of course. Magically protected houses were one of the few safe places left.

With a total world war the delicate balance had spun out of control. Vampires and zombies ruled the night, Necromancers had risen up, and the whole world was going to Hell in a handbasket. I looked at Vile and he gestured towards the TV.

Every station was the same, test patterns. "This is real, isn't it? The end of civilization?" I asked and he nodded. "Can you end this?" I asked and he titled his head thoughtfully. I wasn't sure how much was Lord Vile or how much was Skulduggery, but at least he was protecting me.

Vile rose and held out his hand to me. The Necromancer ring I had lost was in his palm. I rose and took it, feeling his steady gaze on me. "You'll only do it if I go with you?"

He nodded. Vile spoke then, his voice cold. "I hate most humans with an unending passion. But I will end this war of theirs if you agree to one thing."

I nodded and I heard his bitter laugh. "Marry me. Accept your ring as your wedding ring, and we two shall cleave the problems from this Earth."

I gasped, but nodded in agreement. Then we were shadow-walking and we arrived on every battlefield, and I realized the true cost of Vile's bargain. He just killed everyone in front of him, he didn't care what side they were on, and it didn't take him any effort either.

The greatest mortal weapons he turned to dust with a mere gesture, and in hours we had wiped every combatant from the face of the Earth, for I defended him, joined him in the attack. Billions were dead, but billions more would live.

* * *

Months went by and the billions left learned to co-exist peacefully. Magic was out in the open and every part of modern society, except warfare went on. For at the merest hint of aggression Vile would show up in that country, destroying the massed troops with a mere gesture.

Strangely enough, I did grow to love him. He was lethal, but other than attacking those who would wage war he took no interest in the world. We lived together as husband and wife, though he rarely spoke.

Vile had never asked anything of me as a wife and when I told him I loved him he would just stare at me, saying nothing. Then one day he unexpectedly grabbed me and shadow-walked me to an abandoned Necromancer temple.

"This is where I became Lord Vile. Where I learned to put my hatred and grief and rage to good use, O, wife of mine. Aren't you impressed?" His tone was bitter, angry.

"I would be if you loved me in return. You married me so the hollowness would end, so one day the rage would go away. But I can't fight with a ghost, Vile, nobody can. I am never going to be the woman you want to be with and we both know that."

Tears were in my eyes as I took off my ring and put it is his gauntleted hand. "You see? You're not even objecting, because you never loved me. You never even touched me, not once. You've never even so much as kissed me." I growled, not caring if he was Lord Vile and could kill me in an instant.

I glared at him, my entire body shaking with rage. "I hate you. I despise you as much as I once loved you. Don't you EVER come near me again, or I will kill you, so help me God, I will." Vile lunged at me, gripping me tightly, and his visored face dipped down to meet mine in a searing kiss.

I wanted to be angry, I wanted to hate him, but as the kiss intensified and his shadows rose and started to caress me, I gave in to his ministrations, shivering with delight as his gauntleted hands grasped me securely.

* * *

Things were better after that. Vile still remained mostly silent, but he took me at my word. We remained married for centuries until at long last even he had to die. I wept and held him as I felt the gaze behind the visor fade away to nothing. I buried him in an unmarked grave, never wanting the world to find and put him on display.

* * *

That night I awoke to a figure at the foot of my bed. I drew a flame before I realized it was Lord Vile. The portal to the other side stood open and he held out his hand. I took his ghostly hand and my spirit went with him willingly.

That was centuries ago and we still walk the Earth, now worshiped as gods of the underworld by mortals. For our magic is still potent, and we still expunge those who would start war from the face of the Earth.

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**Wow. I was in a bad mood, but I feel better now.**


	6. Chapter 6: Hatred

**Hatred**

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A/N: I don't own Skulduggery, Valkyrie, Lord Vile or Darquesse. Not exactly a Valkyrie/Lord Vile pairing, but life isn't fair and learning that lesson will do you worlds of good. Story is in Darquesse's POV, mostly. Thanks a mysterious **Guest** and **KasumiCain** for reviewing Chapter 5.

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I stood in the middle of what used to be a paved street and surveyed the damage I'd wrought. Dublin was gone and I was just getting started. But something was nagging me. A name. Valkyrie. Who was she? Ah yes, of course. The old me.

Many of my victims had called me that name and I'd shrugged and killed them anyhow, and yet I was doing it for her own good. They'd been using her for years. The loyal little puppy that followed that skeleton around. Her weakness, her emotions had sickened me. So I came out and _helped_.

I helped by killing all the people that had used her, by leveling that pathetic Sanctuary, and making sure there was no Dublin left for her to come back to, and I could feel what little was left of her crumbling away in mindless terror. Weakling. I sneered and started to stride through the rubble, enjoying the screams of my victims and cries for help.

I remembered hunting down each of her so-called friends, the people that had been using her, hurting her. First off that hideous old man who had retired to his tailor's shop. He hadn't even tried to stop me, hadn't even defended himself as I had snuffed out his life with a savage twist of his head.

I'd felt her die inside and laughed. I'd gotten her family then too, but that had been quick since I was in a bit of a rush, but as the house exploded I'd felt pure glee course through my veins. Then all the others she relied on until at last I'd merely gestured at that ugly skeleton and he'd turned to dust.

There was no one left on Earth to stop me, was there? First I'd take care of Ireland, then the rest of the world. Perhaps open up the portal so I could kill the Faceless Ones as well. They were weak too, and the idea of perhaps drinking their blood filled me with joy.

Well perhaps that was a tad much. I wasn't a vampire, just the young woman who would end the world.

* * *

Skulduggery Pleasant watched the monitor in disbelief. Valkyrie's dreams, well Darquesse's dreams were of nothing but hatred and destruction. They always ended the same way, always with the end of the world.

Where had he gone wrong? How had he failed her? He turned away from the monitor, sad to be alone in his vigil. For his best friend and loyal combat accessory had had to be put into a coma to be able to contain her.

There would never again be a partnership, never one more word exchanged between them. Unless of course Lord Vile came out to play. He straightened and stood, then Lord Vile stood where he once was.

At Vile's gesture the magical cage holding in Darquesse failed as did the induced coma. Darquesse opened her eyes and_ smiled_.

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**Yeah, was having a bad day. Feel better now, yes!**


End file.
